SCRIPT SUMMARY

Authorship:

Characters:

G.G. (Good Gardener), B.G. (Bad Gardener), Apple, Grapes

Costumes:

GG and BG are dressed in farming or gardening clothing (straw hats, overalls, bandanas, gloves, boots, etc.). Apple is dressed in red with a green stem and leaves. Grapes is dressed in purple with green vines and leaves.

Props:

Two wheelbarrows, other gardening tools (spades, hoes, baskets, etc.), sign: Welcome to the State Fair!

Setting:

State Fairgrounds

Summary:

Growing good spiritual fruit is like any gardening project. You’ve got to pull out the weeds (evil attitudes and behaviors) and nurture the seeds (godly attitudes and behaviors).

Bible Basis:

Luke 6:43-45; Galatians 5:19-23; 1 Peter 2:1-3

Key Verse:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Galatians 5:22)

INTRODUCTION

Do any of you have a growth chart at home, or maybe a certain wall or closet door where you measure your height? Isn’t fun to see how little you were when you were two or three, and then see how much you’ve grown since then? It makes you glad you ate your vegetables, exercised and got lots of sleep, just like your parents told you!

You know, it makes God happy when He sees us grow to be better people, to be more like Jesus. In the same way that eating right, exercising and getting your rest helps your body to grow, there are ways to grow as a Christian. Reading your Bible, serving others, talking with Jesus through prayer and celebrating His love for you through worship – those are all good ways to help you grow. In today’s drama, we’ll learn some other ways of growing good fruit in our lives.

DRAMA

BG enters pushing GRAPES in a wheelbarrow.  He/she stops near center stage and wipes brow.

BG:         Whew!  This year’s crop might not be my best, but it sure is the heaviest!

GRAPES: Hey, I heard that!  Are you saying I’m fat?  I thought being plump and juicy was the whole point of grapes!

BG:          (doesn’t hear GRAPES, surveys area)  Now, where are the judges hiding this year?  I’m ready to collect my blue ribbon!

GG enters, pushing APPLE  in a wheelbarrow.  He/she sees BG and GRAPES.

GG:         Hey there, neighbor!  Fancy meeting you here!

BG and GG shake hands.  APPLE gives a friendly wave at GRAPES, but GRAPES makes a face

at APPLE, sticking out his/her tongue.

BG:          What do you mean?  We bump into each other every year at the State Fair.

GG:         Oh, well, it’s just that I heard that you were having some trouble with your crop this year.

BG and GG polish their wheelbarrows with their bandanas during the following exchange.

GRAPES: Trouble!?!  What’s he talking about?  I’m plump and juicy and purple.  What more do you want in a grape?

APPLE:    Don’t get your clusters in a bunch!  You might look good, but inside you are a bit sour.

GRAPES: What?!

APPLE:    When I waved at you, you stuck your tongue out at me!

GRAPES: You should talk!  Wasn’t it an apple that tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden?

APPLE:    No, no, no!  I am not taking the blame for that one!  Everybody always says it was an apple, but the Bible just says fruit!  Fruit!  It could have been a pear … or a kiwi!

BG:          Yeah, well, it’s not my best tasting crop.  In fact, it’s a bit sour.  But, it looks good, don’t you think?

GRAPES: Yeah!  You tell ‘em!  I am big and plump and juicy!  I am purple, the color of royalty!  I am Grapes!  Hear me roar!

GG:         Yeah, your grapes look good, but isn’t taste a bit more important?

BG:          That’s up to the judges, I guess.  (inspecting APPLE)  I see you’ve brought in your apple crop.  What variety?

GG:         Fuji.

GRAPES: Fuji!  What kind of name is that?  Isn’t that a brand of film?  Wait a minute, you’ve got a dull film about you.  I guess the name fits.

APPLE:    I am not dull!  I am sweet and juicy.  When people taste me, their taste buds dance with joy.

GRAPES: You know, I’ll bet you’re that bad apple they’re always talking about.  You know, the one who spoils the whole bunch?

APPLE:    I am not!

BG:          I’m a red delicious fan, myself.  They’re big and shiny and red.  Look real good in the basket, know what I mean?  (gesturing toward APPLE)  Your crop looks a bit dull, not as shiny as red delicious.

GRAPES: Hah!  See what I told you!

APPLE:    Well, at least I have a peel!

GG steps between the two wheelbarrows.

GG:         Those apples you buy in the stores have been coated with wax and food coloring.  (motioning toward APPLE)  This is the way God intended an apple to look.  One bite, and you’ll be a believer!

APPLE sits up proudly, basking in the praise.  GRAPES makes another face.

BG:          God?  What does God have to do with growing crops?

GG:         Are you kidding?  God is the master gardener of the universe.  In fact, if you want to increase your chances of a good crop next year, you might want to listen to what He has to say about growing good fruit!

BG:          Yeah?  Like what?

GG:         Well, it’s very simple, really.  You’ve got to rip up the weeds and nurture the seeds.

GRAPES: (sarcastic)  Wow!  That’s really deep.

BG:          That sounds about right.

GRAPES: Huh?

GG:         God ought to know.  He planted the very first garden, you know.  In fact, lots of what God says about growing good fruit has helped me grow too.

BG:          You lost me there!

GG:         Well, in the Bible, God tells us to rip up the weeds that are growing in our hearts.

GRAPES: (pointing at APPLE)  Hey, there, Farmer Brown.  There’s a weed right now.  Rip it up!  Rip it up!

APPLE:    LEAVE me alone!

BG:          There are weeds growing in my heart?

GG:         Yeah, you know, the weeds of sin.

BG:          Sin?

GRAPES: Yeah, sin!  (pointing at APPLE again)  There it is!  The bad seed!  She’s the one!  Rip her up!

APPLE:    You better watch it.  I’ve heard they stomp on sour grapes to make vinegar!

GG:         Sin is like a weed that crowds out the good crop that God wants to grow in your heart.

BG:          Are you saying that I’m a sinner?

GG:         Well, you tell me.  Have you ever found hatred, jealousy, anger, or selfishness growing in your heart?  Have you ever loved someone or something more than you love God?  Have you ever let arguing or complaining spoil your day?  Have you ever….

BG:          (interrupting)  Okay, okay.  I get your point.  I guess I am a sinner.  So, I’ve got to rip the weeds of sin out of my heart?

GG:         Yeah.  Just tell God that you’re sorry for letting all that sin grow in your heart.  He’ll forgive you.  Then, ask Him to help you nurture the seeds.

BG:          Nurture the seeds?

GRAPES: This guy is one grape shy of a bunch, if you ask me!

GG:         Yeah.  God wants to plant the seeds of good fruit in our hearts.  In fact, the Bible says that God wants to grow the fruit of the Spirit in our hearts.

GRAPES: The fruit of the Spirit?  What’s that?  Bananas?

APPLE:    Maybe it’s pears.

GRAPES: Or bananas!

APPLE:    Or peaches!

GRAPES: Or bananas!

APPLE:    Or cantaloupe!

GRAPES: Or bananas!

APPLE:    Or….or…..

GRAPES: Or orange!

APPLE:    Orange?

GRAPES: Yeah.  Orange you glad I didn’t say bananas again?

APPLE:    Groan!

BG:          So, God wants to grow fruit in my heart?

GG:         Yeah.  God wants your heart to be filled with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

BG:          Wow.  Sounds like some kind of spiritual fruit salad!

GG:         Yeah.  I’ll tell you more on the way to the judging booth.

BG and GG wheel their wheelbarrows off stage during the following exchange.

GRAPES: Don’t forget the grapes!

APPLE:    You mean, the grapes of wrath?

GRAPES: Ouch!  I think you just bruised me!

APPLE:    Sorry.

GRAPES: That’s okay.  Sorry I was so sour to you.

APPLE:    I forgive you.

GRAPES: Thanks!  You’re sweet!

APPLE:    Told you.

CONCLUSION

Let’s think about what’s growing in the gardens of our hearts. Do you see more of the weeds of sin or more of the fruit of the Spirit? You know, God wants to be the gardener of your heart. He wants to help you pull out the weeds and then plant some good fruit, the fruit of His Spirit, to grow there. Will you let Him do that today?

Prayer Points

· Pray that we would allow God to rip up the weeds of sin in our hearts

· Pray that we would allow God to grow the fruit of His Spirit in our hearts

· Pray that we would grow to be more and more like Jesus every day